


The "Hero"

by ripplegrin



Category: Magic: The Gathering
Genre: War, bablovia, oc fanfiction, oldwalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 00:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17355914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ripplegrin/pseuds/ripplegrin
Summary: Lavi visits the plane of Ravnica before it could be destroyed by the machinations of Bolas, assuming it will be. The members of the boros remind him of his most terrifying general of the Chromascope, Crusader. The hero of the multiverse.





	The "Hero"

Each face that passes feels familiar and the stones that make up these roads are infused with a strange magic. Ravnica seems to be unique among planes that I’ve visited. Nature’s growth is controlled, and the growth of beings is manipulated. I’d call it fascinating if this place wouldn’t be dying within a year, if not less. The experimental mages are like siblings to Alexander and about as unpredictable. The footfalls of those soldiers remind me of one of the generals. Crusader. The Hero is what they call themselves. Pompous is what I’d call them if they didn’t seem liable to break my skull, along with other unmentionables. Their other title is the Living Armory and I’ve learned that they obtained that for being a rare breed of shapeshifter. Instead of shifting their parts into other equivalent parts, they can grow weapons off their flesh to break their opponents with. Unsurprisingly, he is quite into combat in all regards.

I met him first on an accidental exploration to a ‘dead’ plane, or rather a plane planeswalkers never visit. Bablovia is a great example of one. But back to the accident. Some said it died due to a war, others said a tyrant killed everyone on the plane. All I knew back then were that thousands of metallic statues littered the wastelands that it was reduced to. ‘Perhaps the tyrant made them to atone’ was a thought going through my mind at the time. I quickly learned that that guess was half right. Crusader mentally killed everyone else on the plane. The statues were a side effect. Their idea of power structure was terrifyingly simple: you are either as strong as me or a cog in my war machine. Each person lost their self and dutifully became a new weapon for their lord. They believe that so long as there is a figure to follow that is stronger than you, there is no reason to ignore them. They broke the people and turned them into damn near worthless mindless soldiers. The sole reason I didn’t fall to the same fate was that I explained I was a planeswalker and how they work. Their response still chills me to the bone.

“So, there’s other places to conquer? Wonderful!” Not caring about who was in their path, what other possibilities lie on planes, what they could learn. The entire moral system they had was all that they cared for. Their only logic was that everyone should be their soldier. Soldier is too nice a term. Living zombies is a better one. My body was coated in a cold sweat, I could feel my heart in my throat, but I told them a simple response that made me seem a bit stronger in their eyes.

“If you conquer everything you come across, you won’t be able to get new soldiers or find a fun challenge.” They laughed and thought I was a genius but the way they said it felt wrong. They were the first general I found and easily the hardest to work with. They seem to work well with the others, for the most part.

A small armored spotter woke me from my daydream, which I’m slightly thankful for. Crusader’s boisterous voice came from the other end.

“Lavi! Do you know Rotek has gone? He said he was going to meet me here! We’re going to participate!” Ah yes, the wonder duo. Rotek, the chaotic artist, and Crusader, the evil hero. Fighting in a duo at Kylem. Well, no one will die at least.

“I don’t watch everyone. It should be easy to find another walker to work with, or a random person. A hero is charismatic, after all.” I could taste my sarcasm as I spoke, but Crusader laughed again, ignorant to it. Do they think I’m a jester?

“Huh. You’re right! I see an interesting being right now! Looks like a kitsune but I don’t see tails. Oh well! Talk to you lat-“And they hung up. That’s two hundred and fifty-three times now. Wonderful. Wait. Oh great. They’re talking to a person I need to speak with. The Shifting Blade is in Kylem. Why? I thought he was just an assassin! Why kylem as well?! I thought assassins wanted a low profile! Who is he planning to kill? What walker there knows about the shifting blade anyhow? The fishy spotter came around to my shoulder and my breath left me.

“Boss, I found Alexander. He was trying to fight an ogre in gruul territory.” Nozari’s voice came through and, in the background, I swore I heard Alexander’s annoying counterpoint. A second, half-melted, spotter came to my other shoulder in a flurry of tentacle waving, making the counterpoint much clearer. I need to learn how to fix volume on these. 

“TWO OGRES! At least if you’re trying to rat me out to Lavi, get it right! And it was for an experiment! I was using a new formula to-” His voice cut out as I tapped the eye of his spotter. Much more magical strain on my end when one gets muted but sometimes, you just really have an apathetic view on what people say. I didn’t even realize I was massaging my temples until a small goblin child spoke out about it. Good to know children are still children no matter the plane.

“Wonderful. Next job is to figure out where the Shifting Blade lives. He lives with a badger and a woman with a massive axe. Good luck.” Before either of them could respond, I dismissed the spotters. Coffee should settle my nerves for the moment. If I recall correctly, the best coffee of the multiverse is on this plane. What a happy coincidence.


End file.
